Wireless network systems with devices communicating over a wireless medium are today common for a variety of applications. Usually in such network systems, each device being part of the network has a distinguishable address, so that it is possible to direct messages to a specific device using this address. Each communication thus comprises in addition to the message at least an address, so that the message reaches its desired recipient. For example, in a network having remote control units and multiple controllable appliances, e.g. lighting devices, temperature sensors or heating devices, each of the remote control units needs information on how to address each single appliance to be able to control the appliances individually and in user-defined groups or to process received sensor values appropriately.
To operate a network system, it is thus necessary for each of the network devices to be addressable in the network. When a new network is formed or the configuration of a network is changed, i.e. a device joins or leaves the network; a configuration or commissioning of the network is needed.
Commissioning a network system is a tedious task for the user, especially for consumers, which are interested in a comfortable installation and “plug-and-play” behavior of the network components. Usually, it is necessary to assign a network address to each device in the network, which address then has to be distributed to the other devices in the network to enable network operation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wireless network system, which allows an easy, convenient and reliable commissioning of a wireless network system.